Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-02-17
The Race Problem.

Win q DTeduth Vi tnOughts c0mpre-
hensiye grasp,a keen wit and humor that
prove the speaker to be gentleman of
broad culture, refinement and eloquence.
The lecturer began with a survey
of our republic and republican institu-
I tons. We have magnificent country.
Vast in area, in population, in wealth.
With an infinite variety of natural pro-
ducts, fine climate, productive soil,
with high moral and religious culture.
As result of all this we have the Amer
lean Republic, the American people, the
American character. We have a popu-
lation the most heterogeneous and yet
the most homogeneous, with the great.
est license the most orderly and conser-
vative. Europeans found here the red
race, in 1920 they introduced the black
man, by the discoveries of 40 and by
treaty with China they introduced the
yellow man. Under one government
were four typical races: the red race, in
dependent, the yellow, alien, the black,
personal property. OF the one we APP
propriated land, of the other, labor, of
the black, personality. Of these four
typical races the Anglo Saxon is the
strongest. The government by which the
stronger races have ruled the weaker,
has always been one of supreme SELFISH
ness. The red man has been forced 10
yield up his lands and abandon the
graves of his ancestors, the Monaghan
has been denied citizenship and laws are
being enacted to prevent their emigra-
ton, the negro has been a captive in
chains among strange people. For
centuries my people have been slaves,
making many rich, but now the chattel
has become freeman, an inheritor in
the civilization of the American Union.
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the head stone of the corner.
There are now 100000 people in this
black race-what of their future? The
relations in the South were based on the
superiority of one race over another.
The idea was that the black man could
only gain by contact with the white,
that they were incapable of self-support.
In the contact of races one of three
things must come--amalgamation, sep
aration or subordination. My race has
been in subordination, but order of de-
velopement in time is no measure of in
feriority. The nations that have be-
come most powerful and have finally
ruled the world have been of slow
growth and latest to develope, but they
have had staying powers. The black
man, when brought to the trial, shows
powers of self-support and the power to
gain competence. In two hundred years
of bondage the black race had no mo-
tive for economy on thrift. They ac-
cumulated property for others, of which
no part was for themselves or their
children. AT the end of the war, the
wealth of this freed race was fifteen
cents par capita, and the few miserable
clothes they wore. Now the blacks &C
cumulate property, become skilled la
borers and show characteristics that
place them among the nest reliable of
the workiagpeople. When the Rus
*. TOD l.asx. Il
lotted to each portion of land. Our coun-
try made no such provision. The mas
ters felt that the slaves were in some way
responsible for their misfortunes, and
heaped upon them every imaginable in
dignity. They were driven from their
cabins and old men and women and
helpless children turned adrift without
money or food. Soon the whites found
they had made mistake. The consumers
remained but the producers were gone.
Their former owners knew that q negro
would work more hours and wait longer
for his pay than any laborer. They were
recalled, and to-day the work of planting
and hoeing in the South is done by the
blacks The negro is accused of many
faults, but he is after all just like
other people. He has no excep-
tional virtues or vices. He is indus
trious and painstaking. He is in the
main honest. An anecdote may illus
trate some of the peculiar characters
tics of the race. Old Uncle Peter who
had sold his farm products and received
his payment in bills, went home, and in
looking his money over found that there
was one counterfeit five dollar bill. 1t
was a hard blow, but he took philosoph-
ical view of the matter. Some time af-
ter the money had been received friend
happening in asked him: "Well, Uncle
Peter, how about your counterfeit bill.
what are you going to do with it?"
"Well,' you see, said Uncle Peter, II
done KEEP dat bill long time. | look
at it cherry day. Some days | think it
looks counterfeit an some days kinder
think it don look counterfeit. | done
ponder it an look at it, an one day
when it look kinder like it want counter
felt. done took it an bought bar'l Of
flour with it" The negro was faithful
soldier in the war. No black man ever
proved traitor to his country's flag. He
divided his scanty meal with any Union
soldier in need and sent him on his way
with poor black mans blessing. At
the end of the war the right of suffrage
was given the emancipated slave There
was an cutlery against this, and it was
said that the negro must go through
period Of probation to enable him to rub
off his ignorance. On that ground it
might also have been claimed by the
North that certain white people should
be put in probation to enable them to
rub off their disloyalty. The failure SO
far has not been in giving
suffrage but in not giving
protection for this right. 1t has been
claimed that they have been psrtisans
and that is true. The administration
would call them offensive partisans,
fr,h. f;yct affortS tn haffay. the nand;.;n,,